


First Date

by tygermine



Series: Merthur Drabbles [79]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drabble, First Dates, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26464426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tygermine/pseuds/tygermine
Summary: First dates can be tricky...
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthur Drabbles [79]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/969933
Comments: 8
Kudos: 63





	First Date

“So, you’re Welsh, yeah?”

Merlin pulled his eyes back to the man across the table from him. The man in question was gorgeous with blonde hair and blue eyes and lips that had a small part of Merlin’s brain wanting to fast forward to the end of the night.

But here they were. In the Pembrooke in Primrose Hill.

Date number one.

“Yeah. And you?”

The conversation was flagging and they were only one pint in.

“London, I guess,” the blonde man shrugged. “To be honest, I went to so many boarding schools, I feel like I’ve grown up all over the country.”

Merlin couldn’t really commiserate as he had gone to the same school for his entire school career.

“So, Arthur, read any good books lately?”

There was an audible collective groan from a table somewhere behind MErlin. He whipped his head around but couldn’t see anything out of place. And now his neck hurt.

He hid the grimace behind a sip of beer and raised his eyebrows at Arthur, ready for his answer.

“I don’t get to read as much as I’d like, but I listen to podcasts when I commute.”

“Audiobooks?”

Arthur shook his head sadly. “Too long and I lose track by the third day. How about you?”

“Nothing special really,” his mind flashed back to the battered copy of a fanfiction he’d printed and bound years ago. “Mostly indie authors. No real exposure.”

“So, any movies you like?” Arthur was tracing the grain of the wooden table with his thumb.

“Oh for fucks sake!” Someone exclaimed from a table somewhere behind Arthur. Merlin was certain it was the same table that had been staring at them since they sat down.

“The usual, I guess. I’m not one for avant-garde cinema. Big explosions and some funny one-liners and I’m having a good time, you know.” What he wanted to say was  _ Hey Arthur, get the feeling we’re being observed like some mice in a weird experiment? _

“I like a good action movie myself. Die Hard?”

“Only the best movie ever.”

“Yippee Kai Yay, motherfucker,” they intoned together and this time there was definitely a chorus of groans from the tables around them.

Arthur looked behind him and stood up from his chair. “What the fuck is this?” He addressed the group seated there.

“You’re dying out there, Arthur.” A woman who belonged on a billboard laughed at him.

“Morgana, how did you know I’d be here?”

Merlin didn’t hear the rest of the argument as he turned around and spotted his own group of friends at a nearby table.

“Really? Really, Gwaine?”

“You haven’t had a date in so long, I’ve forgotten, which means, you’ve forgotten how to date. We’re here for moral support.” He slapped his hand down on Elyan’s shoulder, which caused him to choke on his drink. 

“You’re doing rather well, actually,” encouraged Gwen. “Think maybe, you could get me the number of that woman he’s arguing with?”

Merlin rolled his eyes and went to where Arthur was waving his arms expressively while explaining in painstaking details what Morgana could do with her advice. He took Arthur’s hand and squeezed it.

“Pub’s feeling a bit crowded. Fancy a walk?”

Arthur looked at Merlin and all his bluster drained out of him. “Sounds perfect.”

They got two steps towards the door when Arthur turned and pointed his finger at his table of friends. “Don’t even think about it.”

It may have been their first date, but it wasn’t their last.


End file.
